Sean Smith benched for violating team rule

MIAMI GARDENS — Miami Dolphins cornerback Sean Smith was benched at the start of Friday's 16-6 loss to the Falcons due to a team violation, coach Tony Sparano said.

Veteran backup Jason Allen started in place of Smith and gave up an 18-yard touchdown pass to Roddy White for the Falcons' first score.

Smith arrived late to Sun Life Stadium for Friday's game, a source said.

"It wasn't a message one way or the other," Sparano said. "It's just something that I did. Sean had a team violation. I started Jason Allen."

Smith, the former second-round draft pick from Utah who became the first Dolphins rookie cornerback to start all 16 games last season, said he apologized to his teammates after committing the violation.

"I talked to a bunch of the guys, especially the vets," Smith said. "Obviously I'm smarter than that. I know what I'm supposed to do. I know I've been in the league one year, but I definitely know better."

Smith would not discuss the specific nature of his violation, referring those questions to Sparano, but he made his contrition obvious.

"It was something minor," Smith said. "Nothing big and dramatic, but I definitely know what I did was wrong and it will never happen again."

Smith was on the field for just one play in the first quarter, watching helplessly as the Falcons marched 60 yards in 10 plays to wipe out an early 3-0 Dolphins lead.

"It's real tough, knowing you're supposed to be out there with your guys," Smith said. "With this [new] defense being in, you want to have everybody out there that's supposed to be. So sitting out and seeing my guys out there and knowing I could be out there or I should be out there, it hurts a lot."

On his first full series to open the second quarter, Smith was burned badly on a double move by White, who dropped a certain 43-yard touchdown pass. It happened just seven plays into Smith's abbreviated night, and he admitted being overanxious on the out-and-up move.

"That was my fault," Smith said. "I'm coming in, I'm a little antsy, sitting on the sideline. I wanted to make that play. I was staring at the quarterback too long, wasn't making my reads. Just little mental mistakes like that."

Smith wasn't alone as the Dolphins struggled mightily on third down on both sides of the ball in seeing their nine-game preseason winning streak come to an end.

"I don't think we played to our capability," Smith said. "We can definitely play a whole lot better out there. Nothing to worry about. We're not panicking. But obviously that's not how the Miami Dolphins' defense is supposed to look like. We got a lot of work to do."

Mike Berardino can be reached at mberardino@SunSentinel.com. Follow him at Twitter.com/MikeBerardino